Evaluation of Hydrogen Peroxide as an Environmental Model of Parkinson's Disease in Drosophila Larvae.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by motor dysfunction and dopaminergic neuron loss and is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Here, we evaluated hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) as an accessible oxidative stress model of PD in Drosophila larvae. High H₂O₂ concentrations caused lethality or severe developmental impairment, whereas animals exposed to 0.005-0.025% H₂O₂ progressed through larval development and to pupation. Pupation timing was similar to untreated controls at 0.005% and 0.01% H₂O₂ but was delayed by 0.025% H₂O₂. Low-dose H₂O₂ reduced crawling speed and impaired navigational performance but did not cause detectable dopaminergic neuron loss or exacerbate locomotor deficits associated with A53T α-synuclein expression. Thus, H₂O₂ produces behavioral effects without fully recapitulating PD pathology and provides an accessible model for investigating developmental oxidative stress and its potential long-term consequences.